Pro Vice Chancellor International and Faculty of Science and Environment

Professor John Woodward is the Pro Vice-Chancellor International and Faculty of Science and Environment at Northumbria University.

As Pro Vice-Chancellor International, John works closely with the University Executive, shaping and delivering the University’s International Strategy and profile. This includes: developing and maintaining strong relationships with key overseas stakeholders, particularly our transnational education partnerships; supporting the Chief Marketing Officer to meet the University’s International Recruitment strategy; working closely with the PVC Education to deliver an excellent international student experience; and working closely with the PVC Research and Knowledge Exchange to deliver international strategic research partnerships.

As Pro Vice-Chancellor Faculty of Science and Environment, John is responsible for the strategic direction of one of our three new Faculties. Comprising over 9,000 students and 600 staff the Faculty encompasses 4 academic schools: Architecture & Built Environment; Computer Science; Engineering, Physics & Mathematics; and Geography & Natural Sciences. The Faculty drives research in seven of the nine University Peaks of Excellence: Computerised Society & Digital Citizens; Energy Materials & Systems; Future of Ice on Earth; Microbial Biotechnology; Microbiome Explorations; Solar & Space Physics; and Volunteering, Humanitarian Crises & Development.

Professor Woodward is also Executive Lead for the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST). NESST is a collaborative £50 million pound research and development facility funded by Northumbria University, the UK Space Agency and Lockheed Martin Space UK, that will transform the space economy of the northeast and the wider UK. His work in the space sector was acknowledged when he was awarded Northeast Business Person of the Year 2024 and BusinessCloud's Education Champion 2024, making the list of 200 most influential northern business leaders in 2024 and 2025.

John was born and raised in the colliery villages of County Durham, attending Durham Johnston Comprehensive School. He obtained a BSc (Hons) in Geography at the University of Leeds and University of Liege, Belgium, an MSc at the University of Alberta, Canada and a PhD at the University of Leeds, graduating in 2000. After undertaking postdoctoral research at the University of Leeds, a Lectureship at Brunel University and a research post with the British Antarctic Survey, he joined Northumbria in 2003 as a lecturer. He was awarded a Professorship in 2012 and became Faculty Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor Research & Innovation in 2013. In 2018 he became Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Engineering and Environment, before moving to his current role in 2024.

Having completed a Teaching & Learning PCAPL qualification in 2004 John is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). He is also a Member of the International Glaciological Society (IGS) and a Core Panel Member of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Peer Review College.

John is a glaciologist with expertise in near-surface geophysics and has attracted £36 million of research and capital funding through his career. His interest in ice/sediment/water interactions in glacial environments has led to NERC funded projects to study Subglacial Lake Ellsworth, Antarctica, the history and dynamics of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and his current project on ice sheet instability as part of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, funded by NERC and the National Science Foundation (NSF). He has conducted cryospheric research projects in Arctic Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Svalbard and Scandinavia and has spent over a year in Antarctica during seven successful science expeditions. In 2026 he was awarded the Polar Medal by his Majesty King Charles III in the New Years Honours list, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the scientific knowledge of the Polar Regions for the United Kingdom.

Contact the Pro Vice-Chancellor (International)